Patched my first tire in 20 years today. I usually carry a spare tube and use it instead of the patch kit by choice. I used my spare tube last night because of another flat I got yesterday (it doesn't ran but it poors!). I found a bit of shade and did the repair. I was very glad I had everything to do the job! This morning was a lot cooler than yesterday morning. If it weren't for the flat I would have likely set a record for myself as I was averaging 19+ mph. But alas, I suppose things like this happen. It is just nice to be back on the bike, even with the flats (btw, I changed the tire too last night so it wasn't the tire, just bad luck I guess). I had the gauranteed tube protectors in too so I guess I have some free tubes coming, woohoo!

It was rainy today, but still a nice ride. The roads I have to take are so bad I've decided to start using my MTB instead. I got some Specialized Nimbus slick tyres and the bottom of the line Sigma Sport computer today at work.

The rain hit me hard this morning. Gusty headwinds were just too much for me so I pulled into the train station and took the train the rest of the way. On the way home, I rode in single speed mode. I just chose a gear that I use the most on flats and left it there for the whole ride. The last mile was hard but I might just convert to single speed if I can keep it up for awhile. I might not have use of my legs in the morning but it was worth the experience.

Pedal along pedal along pedal along...then look over into a yard to see this thing chasing me that looks like a dog body with a flowerpot for a head. I had to do a double-take...it was a dog with a flowerpot for a head! No face whatsoever. I had to stop the bike to take it all in. It was standing there looking at me through the hole in the bottom of the flowerpot. I thought it may be stuck on his head so I yelled "Hey you", and then the flowerpot fell off, then he ran off. What a wierd day.

Ride in this morning was a little sweaty, 18C and very humid.
Wimped out for the way home and drove my work truck (on call starting tomorrow) - The weather is hot 27C, gusty & windy and smoggy!!
No more commuting for a week, I'll have to go MTBing and roading as much as I can for the next week!
One thing I've learned, I enjoy riding the bike home a lot more than driving home - driving seems like such a waste of time, riding doesn't.

Wahahaa! :D Glad to hear there's always something new to see! Still grounded due to sinus problems, but I'll be trying a recreational ride tomorrow, if it doesn't rain too much.

If I had experianced that I would start to wonder if it was flashbacks I was promised back in the '70's

:eek:

I had several great rides today. At sun-up I was on headed for work, not a cloud in the sky. At noon, I came home for lunch (I'm 3.7 miles from work), then rode back to work. After work, I rode to a gathering place for the Portland Wheelman. They had a 20 mile ride planned, and I went along. I was using my old Schwinn LeTour, with panniers, etc., and they had racing bikes. I stayed with them, despite the two loaves of heavy bread in my bike's bags, the very heavy bike, and having already gone several miles commuting. But then my cell phone rang; I stopped, and it was an important business call (at ~6:20 PM). I never got back together with the group, although I was within about a hundred yards of the slowest person until she went out-of-sight and I had to figure out the route. But it was very, very enjoyable. The roads were not hardly used, and through a rural area I was not familiar with. Then the full moon rose over the horizon as I was pedaling back to the gathering point. What a nice way to end the commuting day.

John

Why is ego such a stupid thing?

I've taken to running home on Fridays (leaving the bike locked at work and pick it up in the car Sundays). So I like to make my Friday commute nice and leisurely.

But today there were 3 guys ahead of me on various stages of the ride. They were riding a bit slower than me, but I couldn't just slowly amble past them. Once I pass another cyclist I have to give it heaps to leave them behind.

I was plumb tuckered out! What an idiot!

Stew

Nice day, rode the bridgstone, what more could I say, it just doesn't get any better.

Well this morning makes 4 flats in 3 days. I am getting tired of but skilled at fixing flats now. I tore a sidewall in the process and need to purchase a new tire this weekend. I am thinking of going back to cheap tires. My last cheap tire never got flats like this. Anyway, last night I am riding along at 21 mph and I start to pass this guy, he is not a biker guy but a bike commuter because of necessity guy, and I cruise by him thinking, "cool, I made it without getting hit by a car" (He was a good cyclist though as most of the people in his situation use the sidewalks). Feeling pretty good about myself I continued to pull ahead about 100 yds and then I nailed a rock with my back tire and the (recently becoming) all to familiar sound of air coming out of the back tire starts. So I pull the bike off the road and set it up against the nearest building, and the guy that just passed me comes ambling by and and gives me the "look". The look that says "If you weren't in such a hurry to get around you wouldn't be sitting there trying to fix a flat now silly biker guy". Anyway, I found myself laughing at myself for taking myself way to seriously. I had a nice shady spot to change the tire, the temperature was not too hot, and the afternoon was just coming to an end. It wasn't altogether a bad experience (after the humiliation part of course ):rolleyes:

Well, this is only my second commute of the week. My Wed night basketball game and the need for a rest day on Tues and Wed morning is throwing my commuting schedule off a little. I also had something going on last night, so I couldn't ride yesterday either. This is a real bummer because a nice bike ride the day after the b-ball game is very therapeutic.

Anyway, I started today in the dark at a little after six after dropping off my daughter. I took a different route through the town of Willow Glen which is a nice area. I can do this because traffic is lighter at that time. (It'd be a madhouse at my normal time.) It's nice to go on a different course whenever possible.

I held back some because my knee was bothering me just a little (from b-ball). Kept the speed around 17-18 instead of the 20-22 range. Cut through Santa Clara University, which is always a nice ride, just as the sun was coming up.

Overall, it was one of those rides that make it all worthwhile!!

I probably shouldn't say anything to change my luck, but....
My tires are about 8 years old and came with the bike. They are centre rib knobbies, have minor cracks in the sidewalls and I've never had a flat with them. I rode about 600km commuting in the last 2 months, no air loss. I've pumped them up to 60psi (says 45 psi on the tires) and had no problems. I'm reluctant to change to smoother tires because I've had such good luck with these!

Like anybody cares, but I had a short ride into work today. Fall is in the air. It was foggy and cool. I do feel sorry for you folks who're starting to "smell" snow, we just have to deal with the never ending rain.

Yes I have webbed feet, just like my dog.

Ride home was superb. Went on a route that I haven't done in a while after leaving work a bit early ;)

It was hot today and I love the heat !!! Won't be long before I look back on this as possibly the last hot ride of the season.

Anyway, a great 25 mile ride with a good hill climb to finish. The hill climb was easier than before ... mountain biking has realy helped!!

Another carless week with nothing but excellent weather. I feel guilty and smug alll at the same time.

I could ride the fender-less Airborne all week too, which was extra fun. But I've had to mount my lights, since I'm not beating the sunset home any more.

Regarding flats: I don't understand how you can just accept 4 flats in 3 days. Something's wrong somewhere.

RichC

True. There's probably something wrong with your rim. Do a complete inspection of your wheel. I am the king of flats, but 4 in 3 days is a bit much even for me. I have had multiple flats in just a span of a day or two and usually they're indicative of some fundamental and simple problem.

We care, Alan, or we wouldn;t keep coming back to read these.

Paddle those feet, you and AquaDog. :D

Today was my first commute, after being sick all week. I had nice weather for it. I certainly felt the difference, though.

I didn;t ride home because my mother called me at work and asked if I wanted to go biking with her in Potowotomi Stae Park. She picked me up in her car and we did a little riding.

I am very, very pooped.

I have to appologize to you all today, I whimped out, I don't know what's happening to me, a little rain, a tired feeling and I drove the truck to work. I don't know what I was thinking, I'm lazy, there isn't any other excuse. Hopefully I'll be back to normal for tomorrow.

Hi Folks,

After a tiring weekend of travelling, the commute didn't have quite its usual appeal. The chilly headwind was no help either. I still felt better for the excersise. The big question... does this mean a tail-wind for the ride home?.... of course not :)

Well, I tried a new cheap Chen Shin tire (just like the old one before the one that got the flats). No Flats today. Hmmm. I think it is because the cheap tire has a beefier sidewall. I will watch it the next few days and see how it rides out. It will really be funny if 15 $ tire beats out the $30 tire. I think the sidewall is the key. All my flats were in the sidewall portion of the tube. I even had a rip in the sidewall of the last tire that was verging on a blowout when i switched tires. I think with all the rocks and stuff in the bikelanes here the beefier sidewall is probably more important on a commuter bike than a light tire with a very thin sidewall. Well, I guess I will see over the next week whether or not this is a better solution but it is already ahead of the last tire. I couldn't get through a single commute (one way) without a flat. Nice cool commute in this morning. No one honked at me, I kept a good speed, and the bike did real good until I realized the back wheel had slid over and was rubbing the left chainstay. I must not have pulled the wheel all the way back in when I changed it Saturday. Oh well, I guess I have a good excuse for going slower on the commute now.

Beautiful, clear day today. A little chilly at the start. Did the 20 mile course today on the way to work. No hills (needed a break from hill climbing over the weekend). Even though it gets dark I'm staying with the 20 mile one-way course for a while because I'm stepping up the miles for a century on 11/2.

just got back from running to the store. i dragged the kids, they are gettin HEAVY. my 2 year old will be gettin dragged for a while, but my four, almost five, year old will soon be riding her own bike.

we had a good ride, went to the bike shop and to the library. not a far ride, but the hills made me work. i ride a BikeE FX so i got plenty of looks, as usual. one guy looked at my bike, smiled, and said, "now THAT's the way to ride!"

my legs still feel pretty good and i've got a smile on my face. it was a good ride...

E...

windy windy windy! cold also, but its better than sweating buckets. I fear winter could come early this year, (typical in Minnesota!)

Aaahh, the signs of autumn. Bright sunny crisp cool mornings and suicidal squirrels... The little critter was so intent on gathering nuts that he/she had forgotten all about road safety! luckily I was able to take avoiding action, since it was only the driveway to my work, and not the main road, so I could swerve with confidence .:p

Cheers,

Ed

I feel better today, I rode in, it's a cool crisp , clear morning this morning and I rode at a very slow pace just enjoying the dark quiet, still air along the way. I had my night ride power plug fall out of the socket on a dark stretch of road, That woke me up, after stopping and reinstalling the plug I was on my way again. The rest of my commute was just as it should be, A nice uneventful quiet ride to work. I do agree with the above post, fall is in the air, it's almost time to break out the gore-tex. Have a great day.

I had to leave early this morning so I rode in the predawn twighlight for half the ride. It was nice, traffic was less than usual and I caught most of the lights green. I also saw two other bike commuters which is really strange. Must be the cooler morning temperatures. No flats today either. I think that the switch back to the old cheap tire with thick sidewalls is a better fit for the route I take. I am really becoming convinced that one doesn't need a car on a day to day basis if one can ride.

Saw my breath in the air for the first time this morining. Aint minnesota weather great? I also switched from knobbys to michelin slicks, works great, I should have done it sooner. Best commute yet this fall.

Thick heavy fog, heavy traffic, 48 degree air and a slight head wind, just what I always wanted. Agreat ride in spite if it all, because I rode.